F.W. Parker Charter Essential School

Minutes

Board of Trustees Meeting

Date and Time

Thursday March 19, 2026 at 6:30 PM

Location

Parker School

http://parker.school/boardoftrusteesmeeting

Trustees Present

B. Harrigan, C. Beasley, E. Moura (remote), E. Sturgis (remote), J. Fredericksen, K. Kintzing, K. Williams, L. Hayner, M. Beam, M. Turnbull, N. Odekirk Hatlevig, P. Gordon, R. Egan (remote), S. Razzetti (remote), S. Reinhorn (remote), T. Testa

Trustees Absent

F. Fernau

Guests Present

Crystal Hull, Attorney, Jesse St. Laurent, Katrina Tedstone, M. Beganski, M. Lindsey (remote), M. McKenna

I. Executive Session

A.

Executive Session

M. Beam made a motion to adjourn into executive session to discuss personnel issues.
M. Turnbull seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
E. Sturgis
Aye
F. Fernau
Absent
S. Razzetti
Aye
K. Kintzing
Aye
R. Egan
Aye
C. Beasley
Aye
M. Turnbull
Aye
N. Odekirk Hatlevig
Aye
S. Reinhorn
Aye
M. Beam
Aye
J. Fredericksen
Aye
K. Williams
Aye
E. Moura
Aye
T. Testa
Aye
L. Hayner
Aye
B. Harrigan
Aye
P. Gordon
Aye

II. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance and Guests

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

P. Gordon called a meeting of the board of trustees of F.W. Parker Charter Essential School to order on Thursday Mar 19, 2026 at 6:30 PM.

C.

Approve Minutes

III. Executive Director Report

A.

Executive Director Report

Brian Harrigan shared wins for Parker in sports and academic competition. 

 

Tiffany Testa updated on the school trip to Andros.

 

Brian updated the final enrollment number for the current school year is 393. The budget was built on the assumption of an enrollment number at 390.

 

The application numbers for the coming school year ended at 275 - almost exactly as the pre-covid years. 159 applications were for the 7th grade. The budget will be at an assumed enrollment number of 396.

 

The NEASC accreditation visit went very well reporting positively on the priority areas including progress for support of struggling learners, facility improvements, support of the strategic plan, and the data dashboard. NEASC challenged Parker to continue making progress on teacher salary parity and pipeline. Parker will be awarded the NEASC Decennial Accreditation later this spring. 

 

Dates for the Board to look forward to include:

- Looking at Student Work, March 25

- Senior Exhibitions, May 6 - 12

- Graduation, June 3

- Community Celebration, June 5

IV. Development Dashboard and Development goals for FY27

A.

Development dashboard and goals for FY27

Katrina Tedstone presented the Development dashboard and goals for FY27.

 

As of March 19, Parker development has raised $169, 700. The anticipated donations for the remainder of the school year will more than cover Development's goal of $250,000. 

 

This week is Parker Giving Week - a new initiative for the Development Committee aimed at a different time of year than Giving Tuesday. The goal was to raise $10,000 and with a few days left in the week, the Development team has raised $23,000. A Parker Giving Week flyer was handed out by advisors at PLP week and the Development team thinks that is a big reason for the substantial increase in the number of current families giving. 

 

The FY27 Development Goal is $330,000 and Katrina believes it is achievable as the community gets more educated about the importance of fundraising for Parker. Graduate Families and Friends of Parker have the biggest increase in the giving goal for next year. 

 

Stefanie Reinhorne reiterated that the development goals are organized around the strategic plan and that has yielded these big results. 

 

Julie Fredericksen commended Katrina, Brian, and Monique Beganski for their work reaching out to Parker's different communities and finding a successful message when speaking with potential donors. She encouraged the Board to talk to their contacts about Parker and see how they might be able to help - either monetarily or with time.  She reiterated that the June 5th community event is a good opportunity to invite contacts who would like to learn more about Parker. 

 

Katrina updated that she and Julie attended a Chamber of Commerce of event and encouraged Board members to do the same as another avenue to develop community relationships. There will also be a 'Thank You Donors' event in the future that the Board is encouraged to attend. 

 

Marie Beam encouraged the Development team and the Board to keep up our momentum and don't take our success as a chance to slow down. 

V. FY27 Budget

A.

FY27 Budget

Michelle McKenna present the FY27 Budget proposal reiterating that the Finance Committee had a dedicated meeting to look over the proposal and has endorsed it. 

 

 Building the budget proposal included:

- the intention of not creating a surplus

- current high interest rates are helping support our reserves

- the Governor's budget proposal which still needs to be approved includes a 4.1% increase for Parker and a $100 per pupil facilities increase

- an enrollment number of 396

- full-time staff numbers are flat year over year and the average teacher raise in Parker's goal of closing the pay gap is 7.7%

- increase in health insurance premiums and participation will continue to be a budget driver

- total budget number of $8,832,898

 

The Board received the proposal favorably with most commenting about Development's impact in helping Parker 'close the gap' and that the strategic plan's direction to make the Development office self-sustainable has already been accomplished. 

 

Martin Turnbull reminded the Board that facilities will be a pull on the budget in the future. Marie agreed and added that the Development Committee has already begun to lay the work for a capital campaign. 

 

Ellen Sturgis and Brian both gave Michelle praise for her thorough and hard work. They reiterated that the pressure of high health insurance costs are keeping Parker from things like eliminating the salary gap but that we are chipping at it with salary increases that are larger than a simple COLA increase. Brian shared that the results of the administration's work towards closing the salary gap has led to the retention of mid-career teachers that otherwise Parker has been unable to retain. 

VI. Other Business

A.

Comments from the Public

B.

Votes – FY27 Budget

L. Hayner made a motion to suspend the 1st read of the FY27 budget.
R. Egan seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
N. Odekirk Hatlevig
Aye
P. Gordon
Aye
E. Moura
Aye
R. Egan
Aye
S. Razzetti
Aye
L. Hayner
Aye
F. Fernau
Absent
B. Harrigan
Aye
T. Testa
Aye
E. Sturgis
Aye
S. Reinhorn
Aye
K. Williams
Aye
J. Fredericksen
Aye
M. Turnbull
Aye
K. Kintzing
Aye
M. Beam
Aye
C. Beasley
Aye
S. Reinhorn made a motion to approve the FY27 budget.
M. Turnbull seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
S. Reinhorn
Aye
L. Hayner
Aye
S. Razzetti
Aye
B. Harrigan
Aye
N. Odekirk Hatlevig
Aye
E. Sturgis
Aye
J. Fredericksen
Aye
F. Fernau
Absent
R. Egan
Aye
K. Kintzing
Aye
K. Williams
Aye
E. Moura
Aye
P. Gordon
Aye
T. Testa
Aye
M. Turnbull
Aye
C. Beasley
Aye
M. Beam
Aye

VII. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

T. Testa made a motion to adjourn the March 19, 2026 Board of Trustee meeting.
C. Beasley seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
J. Fredericksen
Aye
L. Hayner
Aye
P. Gordon
Aye
S. Razzetti
Aye
N. Odekirk Hatlevig
Aye
B. Harrigan
Aye
M. Turnbull
Aye
M. Beam
Aye
E. Sturgis
Aye
T. Testa
Aye
S. Reinhorn
Aye
K. Williams
Aye
C. Beasley
Aye
E. Moura
Aye
R. Egan
Aye
K. Kintzing
Aye
F. Fernau
Absent
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 9:10 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
N. Odekirk Hatlevig